My Best Friend
by trifle
Summary: Prince Aden isn't crazy. He just has an invisible girl for a best friend. Try telling that to the rest of the kingdom. [Cinderella Story]
1. Chapter 1

My mother, the queen, was executed the very same day I met _her_. At the tender age of seven, I did not, and still do not, understand the reasoning behind my mother's death. There were only twelve people, including my father, who knew the reason as to why my mother was sentenced to death. My mother was never spoken of. It was as if she had never existed.

It rained the whole day of my mother's beheading. My father had ordered me to watch the gruesome act, but I hadn't taken my usual spot on the throne next to his in fear he would have seen my expression, one full of sorrow and fear, and later accuse me of being weak. When I saw my mother's tear stained face and when I heard her earsplitting shrieks, I wanted to run down to her and hold her hand. I wanted to hurt someone, to yell at something, just to make the mental stress disappear for both her and myself. Instead, I had casually lent against her empty throne for support.

Her screams were cut off moments later, as was her head. I had fled as calmly and as quickly as I could from the balcony where my father, his advisors, and I had previously sat. The sight of my mother's head rolling off her lifeless body and the spray of blood that had spewed from her neck was a nightmare that haunted me for several weeks after her death. As I passed my father on my way out, he clasped a strong hand on my back and I turned to face him. It was then that I noticed the somber expression on his face. He hadn't cried, though, because men weren't supposed to cry.

I had run to the palace gardens. My mother had, on a few occasions, held her court there. On warm, sunny days when the sky was a clear blue color and the aroma of fresh flowers plagued the mind, my mother would summon the palace servants to transfer chairs and pillows to the garden. The queen would always have dancing and music and poetry in her court; things that women took great joy in. The ladies of court would chat amiably with one another and sometimes they would embroider while they gossiped. They did things that I had no love or interest for because I preferred swordsmanship, hunting, and all things that men do. The gardens served as my sanctuary during the minutes after my mother's death. The place was empty, save for the multitudes of flowers and shrubs that surrounded the area. I had plopped myself upon the wet earth next to a marble sculpture of a crouching tiger, ignoring the mud and grass that stained my breeches, and placed my head against my knees.

Thunder sounded in the distance and the sky illuminated with streaks of lightning, but I paid no heed to my surroundings. My tears were warm and salty against my cheeks; some had trickled into my mouth, mixing with the rainwater. Gradually, my jagged breathing had become calm and I was running out of tears, but I continued to sit there with my head pressed against my knees.

Several minutes must have passed as I sat there, listening to the sounds of rain pouring from the sky and the occasional roars of thunder. I wondered when someone would be sent to find me, or if anyone would find me at all. I did not panic, though, because I had finished crying, and I was ready to face my father and the general public once more. My mother's funeral was being held at the time, but I had not been required to attend it. Thinking back on the not so fond memories of my childhood, I wonder if it was my father's act of courtesy to me after my first encounter with someone dying.

I remember the light footsteps that had approached some time after my crying had come to an end. I had looked up to see who it was that had come to fetch me. The figure that approached was hauntingly beautiful, but I hadn't thought such a thing at that age. I had been thinking of how the figure managed to not be soaked from the pouring rain, and that there was not a hint of mud staining the white gown that the figure wore while I, myself, had been extremely soaked and revoltingly dirty.

The figure had actually been a girl. She had long, brown hair that looked to go on for miles in a straight line down her back. Many ladies of court would keep their hair in nets or curls, but she seemed to have ignored the practice. Her dress was a snow-white color that contrasted against tanned skin and pooled at her feet. She was slender and child-like, and I thought she looked like an angel without wings because of the glow that seemed to illuminate from her.

"Who are you?" I had asked, cautiously, before standing up. She approached me with wide, green eyes and a surprised expression gracing her angelic features. She looked unsure of something.

"My name is Loki," she said quietly while looking me over. Her face was calm now, unlike how it had been only moments before. I hadn't questioned why.

I looked at her uneasily through dark, blue eyes; the color of a storm at night. I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk to a girl anymore. It wasn't something I did on a regular basis.

She continued to look at me with large, green eyes.

"Your name is weird," I remember saying.

A scowl marred her features, ruining the perfect image I had composed of her. She didn't look like an angel anymore despite the unnatural glow radiating from her.

I introduced myself as, "Prince Aden, sole heir to the Kingdom of Donovan."

She said in a bored tone, "Fancy title for a _little boy_."

"I'm not a little boy!" I had retorted rather hotly. I was a prince and everyone was supposed to respect me. The girl who stood before me in a flowing white dress was no exception to the rules.

"Are too," she replied.

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

The argument went on for a few minutes; the two of us bickering back and forth, throwing about random insults. It was the first time in my life that I had ever felt the desire to hit a girl. I did the next best thing that I could think of at the time and reached out with a water soaked hand to grab a piece of her long, brown hair. She looked at me cautiously, and I remembered her curious green eyes trailing every single movement I had made. With a few strands of hair between my fingers, I tugged roughly and she howled loudly in pain as the hairs came loose from her scalp.

"That hurt!" Loki had bellowed out rather angrily before tackling me to the ground and hitting at me lightly with weak blows from her small hands. Between my laughter and her soft giggles, I failed to notice, or care, how her dress did not become ruffled, damaged, or dirty from our playful wrangle. I had not hit her back because she was not hurting me, but I did try, unsuccessfully, to push her off. It seemed as if she was permanently latched onto me despite the force I put into my attempt to separate the two of us.

"You fight like a girl," I gasped out between my own laughter.

She had frowned at me in response before slapping me lightly on the arm and getting up to brush invisible wrinkles off her white gown.

Instead of following her example, I had continued to lie on the ground without a care. The sky was still a disgusting color overhead; a mix of different grays strewn together, but I had been trying to regain my composure. There had been no hint of the sun behind the dark clouds that I could recall.

"So _your majesty_," Loki had sarcastically announced from beside me, "why are you out here in the rain?"

I tilted my head to the side to look at her, but all I could see from my perspective was the bottom of her white gown. I ignored the rainwater that was seeping into my open eyes.

"None of your business," I had snobbishly replied, only to get a light tap on the side from what I assumed was Loki's foot.

"Prince Aden!" a shrill, feminine voice addressed me from my spot on the wet earth, also interrupting me from my calm state. I could hear the squishy steps of someone approaching from where I remained.

I sat up as I noticed Rosetta, a kitchen cook, running towards me with her worn, brown skirts bunched up in one hand and a wooden ladle waving furiously in the other hand. I smiled brightly at her, and then looked to face Loki who was looking at Rosetta with an odd expression on her face. Loki appeared to be suffering a mix of different emotions, but I couldn't identify what particular emotion she was expressing. I think the look on Loki's face had been mostly comprised of anticipation.

Rosetta stood in front of me, out of breath. I examined her ugly, brown dress that looked dirty. I constantly wondered who invented such a disgusting outfit for the castle servants, but I had never bothered to ask. Rosetta's gray hair was done up in a messy bun; her hair was always threatening to spill out of its restraints from her constant ambling about.

"Hello, Rosetta!" I had beamed proudly at the exasperated cook with an innocent and charming smile. She looked at me with a horrified expression, and I had laughed at her while shaking my wet, brown hair that had plastered itself against my head. The rain continued to fall from the skies, and I looked up with the dorky grin still molded to my face. Rosetta was always so much fun with her silly antics and her cooking had always been my personal favorite.

"Your highness," Rosetta gasped out, "your father, the king, is summoning you to the throne room for an important announcement. We must get you cleaned up quickly. You know how much your father hates to be kept waiting!"

She hadn't turned to Loki in all of her rush, but had instead grabbed my hand and proceeded in dragging me back to the castle. I glanced over my shoulder to look at Loki trailing lazily behind the two of us. Her face looked sadder for some reason, but I lost sight of her as Rosetta and I turned a corner.


	2. Chapter 2

Rosetta had dragged me into the kitchen, scolding and fussing the whole way as she grabbed a towel and began to dry off my soaked person. There had only been three other servants bustling about the kitchens when we were in there. They didn't look at or acknowledge me, but I had been okay with it because I wasn't familiar with the palace servants. Rosetta was different, though, because she would constantly bake me treats and other sugary delights so that I wouldn't starve from the fancy, scheduled meals. She was what I considered to be a second mother, but I had never told her or anyone else that.

Another servant, this time a boy with short, blonde hair, entered the room carrying a pair of my clothes with him. His eyes were wide and blue, lighter than my own, and he looked surprised by my presence. I grinned at him, and he had returned the favor with his own friendly smile. Rosetta walked over to the servant boy and took the clothes that he held in his arms before shooing the boy and the other servants from the room. After the room was clear of all other persons besides Rosetta and me, she started dressing me in the clothes the boy had brought with him.

I had been dressed and dried and prepared to meet my father, but I was feeling exhausted. All of the crying that I had done earlier had drained me of much needed energy. I was hungry too, but managed to keep quiet as Rosetta lightly pushed me out of the kitchen and sent me to meet my father. I knew the way by myself, but I didn't enjoy walking alone. Fortunately, Loki appeared beside me and took my now dry hand in hers. I didn't question how she got there, but I supposed she had just been following the whole time.

"If you get me sick with your girl disease, I'm never speaking to you again," I huffed, but dragged her with me before she could throw an insult at me.

We walked quickly and quietly through the grand hallways that were decorated with tapestries, marble statues, sculptures, portraits, and suits of armor. Loki and I hadn't encountered anyone on our walk, but our stroll had been cut short as we arrived in front of the doors that led into the throne room. She looked at me, smiled, and took a spot against the opposite wall.

"I'll wait for you here," she promised before looking down at her dress and running a delicate hand across her collar. I made a face at her, one I was sure she hadn't bothered to notice, before making my way into the throne room where my father awaited.

The door opened with a creak, and I had entered quickly before closing the door behind me. I began walking towards my father who sat on a beautifully designed throne with different jewels embedded in it. His crowned head had turned to look at me, but then his attention reverted back to the woman in front of him. She was wearing a fancy dress, a dark purple color. Her dull, brown hair was fashioned in a style that I had seen on many ladies of the court and her face looked like a snake because of how her hair was pulled to the back of her head. The slits on her pallid face (that I could only assume were eyes) were brown. She was what I considered to be an 'ugly lady.'

"This is my son, Prince Aden." My father had boomed in his powerful voice. Whenever my father spoke, his words seemed to echo throughout the castle. My father was an intimidating man. Not only did he have the voice to shake his opponents, but his figure was overbearing and one look could tame the wildest beasts. He was the ideal ruler with his dominating personality and figure.

The ugly lady in the fancy, purple dress nodded curtly when she turned to face me while I performed a stiff bow in response. My father introduced her as Baroness Helga, a widow with no children, very wealthy, and the new queen. I could call her 'mother.' I wouldn't though, because nobody could replace my mother, even if she was dead.

I had left after the introductions, wanting to go find Loki. I wondered if she had ever played a trick on anyone. If she hadn't, I supposed I would be willing to teach her. It was a well known fact that I was notorious for my practical jokes and well thought out pranks. I also supposed the woman, Baroness Helga (soon to be Queen Helga), wouldn't have known that minor detail. It would be the perfect welcoming present to my dearest stepmother

Loki was leaning against the same wall I had last left her at when I came back through the door. At the time, she had been examining her nails, but her gaze had turned towards me when I approached. She grinned at me before dropping her hand back to her side; the examination of her nails obviously complete.

I told her about Baroness Helga. She had giggled at my description of 'mother dearest', and then I told her about my plan to play a trick on the woman. Loki had only shrugged her shoulders and walked towards me, grabbing hold of my hand and intertwining her fingers with mine. I looked at her with a weird expression before asking her if she wanted to help play a trick on the woman, and she agreed. We strolled to my chambers, hand-in-hand, before plotting on what to do to 'mother dearest.' I didn't think of her as a disgusting girl who had some imaginary disease, but rather as a partner-in-crime.

A few minutes later, we were headed towards the garden where the rain was still pouring rather heavily upon the already wet soil. It would probably rain the next day, too, but Loki assured me we would just spend our time indoors playing tricks on Baroness Helga until the sun came out. I had grinned at her words because she had just come up with the greatest prank, and the promise of many more made me feel such great delight. I had always felt excited when playing tricks - formulating the plan, the thrill of not getting caught, and the reactions – everything about a prank was exhilarating to me.

We had taken the same route from earlier. Loki and I traveled through different hallways and towards the kitchens where several servants continued to perform the multiple tasks they were assigned. I didn't see Rosetta at work when we entered, so I made my way through without a word. There was an empty wooden bowl on the counter that Loki instructed me to grab. Nobody paid us any notice as we exited the kitchens and walked outside.

The rain continued to pour unmercifully, but Loki passed through the doorway without a second thought. She glanced over her shoulder to see if I followed, and her shoulders sagged when she realized that I stood behind her still.

"Hurry up already," she said, irritated.

"I don't want to get wet," I said before sticking my tongue out at her.

"You won't," she replied while rolling her eyes.

I followed her, feeling surprised that I didn't sense the rain drops that fell from the sky making contact with my body.

Loki was already standing next to a pile of mud. She had squatted down to get a better look, and I followed her example.

"Put your hand in it," I said innocently, looking in distaste at the mud pile before us. My mouth twisted into a disgusted expression, matching my thoughts.

Loki just looked at me like she thought I was stupid. She reminded me that I'd "do the dirty work" while she did everything else.

"But it's disgusting."

She looked at me with angry eyes before insulting me with, "You're such a girl."

I could recall glaring at the girl before angrily sticking my hand into the mud and regretting the action as the sensation of several slimy things wriggled against my fingers caught my attention. I had withdrawn my mud covered hand with the success of grabbing three worms. Loki made her own disgusted face at the squirming creatures before telling me to drop them into the bowl.

I handed the bowl to her for a moment, glad to be rid of the thing, and rubbed my hand roughly against my pants in an attempt to do away with the feeling of the worms that seemed to linger on my finger tips. When the feeling of something crawling across my hand had disappeared, I took the bowl back and led Loki back to the kitchen which had cleared out in our absence.

"Dinner should be ready soon. It'll be perfect," Loki murmured under her breath, but her words had been loud enough for me to hear.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, momentarily recapping the plan as I placed the wooden bowl back on the counter. Loki hadn't explained exactly how she would pull off the prank, but she had explained what was going to happen.

I watched Loki look into the bowl; her green eyes sparkled with delight before she replied, "You're going to see magic."

I looked at her for a few seconds with an odd look on my face before bursting into laughter. She had to be kidding! I grinned and regained my composure as she looked at me through slit eyes.

"You're kidding, right? Magic doesn't exist!" I had proclaimed before I started laughing again.

Loki scowled at me in response, saying, "It does too!"

"Does not!"

"It does!" Loki wailed angrily.

We continued to bicker for a few more moments until Loki broke her attention away from me. She used her right hand to cover the wooden bowl from my gaze, and I watched her eyes close shut as if she were in a deep concentration. She didn't say anything, but she slowly raised her hand from the bowl. Underneath her palm was something that hadn't been there before. It appeared to be a chocolate cake with dark frosting and sprinkles covering the layers of sweetness. It looked good enough to eat, but having been apart of the operation - I knew better.

My eyes had widened considerably, and I hadn't managed to keep the surprised expression off my face. I assumed I looked both stupid and surprised, but Loki just grinned wickedly before announcing, "I told you so!"

"That was so…" I stumbled to find the correct word from my limited vocabulary, "amazing!"

Loki's eyes locked with mine as she let out a soft giggle. She walked over to me and lightly battled me on the back of my head. I still thought the 'magic' she had performed was the most brilliant thing I had ever seen in my whole life, but the questions I wanted to desperately ask her were left unanswered as she told me the time had come to put our plan into motion. She didn't explain what she was going to do, but I watched her carefully. I began to anticipate her next magical trick, but all she did was walk through the doors and into the dining hall where the nobles and other important guests had gathered for my father and his new wife's wedding announcement.

I was suddenly curious as to why she would walk so blatantly through the door and into a room full of guests. I walked over to the door she had passed through, the one the servants used to go back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room, and opened the door so I could peer through.

Loki was walking towards a servant who was currently pouring wine into a noble lady's goblet. She turned back to look at me from my spot behind the door, and I could see her wink in my direction. She disappeared into the servant with a flicker, and I restrained a gasp. She was definitely the most unique girl I had ever met before.

The servant that Loki had disappeared into abruptly stopped pouring the wine into the goblet, and approached where I was standing with the noble lady protesting behind her. The nearing servant had red hair cropped to her shoulders and she looked rather pudgy in the ugly, brown servant attire. As she approached, I noticed green eyes staring at me and a familiar mischievous smile gracing her dark, red lips.

She had reached the door rather quickly, and I had backed away to press myself against the counter behind me. The servant entered through the doors I had been peaking through only seconds ago.

"_Your majesty_," she said in a sarcastic tone that I had heard used earlier today, but the voice had been incredibly different.

"Loki?" I asked.

She grinned and nodded excitedly before passing by me with a few taps from her heels to grab the wooden bowl that held the worm-filled chocolate cake. I watched in fascination as she worked more of her magic and the bowl turned into a white plate with intricate designs bordering the outside; a product of a wave of her hand. The cake looked as magnificent as ever, and the servant continued to grin brightly as she picked the platter up and posed a bit.

"Before you go, uh… Loki," I fumbled with my hands, "What is it that you did?"

Running a hand through her red locks, the servant tossed her head at me and smiled fondly before saying, "Tell you later."

With that said, she walked with the platter in hand back through the door and into the dining hall.

I reclaimed my spot, peering through the doors, and watched the redhead travel to the head of the table where Baroness Helga was sitting. The redhead servant that claimed to be Loki presented the delicious looking cake to the woman, only to have the platter literally snatched from her grasp. Loki appeared at the servant's side as soon as Baroness Helga had sliced herself a piece.

I looked on in morbid fascination as she started to take large mouthfuls, unaware of the people around her who had started to stare. I grinned as chocolate smeared across her face and almost laughed at her expression when she realized there was actually something living in the cake.

I heard someone bellow my name, presumably my father (for he had been one to always bellow.) Loki ran towards me quickly, and pushed me away from the door. We ran through the hallways at such a rapid speed that I could not even begin to recall it. It was as if we were flying while our pursuers followed behind us in a vain attempt to catch up.

We laughed the whole way; out of breath as we arrived at my chambers. Taking her with me, I collapsed onto the ground in a fit of giggles when the doors were closed shut.

"That was the best trick _ever_."

It was all I had been able to say between trying to regain my breath and trying not to suffocate on my laughter.

She hushed me and instructed me on what to do next.

My father had burst into the room after awhile, but I had already tossed on my sleeping clothes and entered my bed under orders from Loki. She had told me it would be the end to a very perfect prank. I didn't doubt her words for a second when I heard my father's sigh and his commanding words for the guards to leave the room as well.

I didn't ponder over the fact that he couldn't see Loki. It was probably another magic trick, anyways. I could always ask her in the morning. I fell asleep that night without noticing the longing expression plastered across her young features as she stared at the closed doors.


End file.
